audit your brand

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Audit your brand(and make it strong and resilient)

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“ Unless we live in mud hut self-suffi ciency, we are all advocates of one brand or another, like it or not!” Andy Barker, Creative Director, InTouch


What is a brand?

“A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or company. It’s not what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.”Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap


Think of a brand as a person.

When you think of the people you know well, you instantly recall an emotional association which you have with that person.

It could be love, fear, warmth, amusement, indifference, uncertainty, or even hate.It will most probably be a combination of feelings.

Brands too evoke emotions.

What do you feel when you think about:

Coca-Cola?BMW?Tesco?Apple?John Lewis?Manchester United?Innocent?or Eddie Stobart?

Your emotions will have been driven by marketing communications on one hand and experience of the brand on the other, in terms of quality of the product and service etc. Most people will also be influenced by their peers.

Sometimes the emotions are entirely rational, but often they are not.

It is unlikely that any die-hard Liverpool fan would ever become an advocate of the brand Manchester United. This is more out of a deep-seated historical prejudice than any rationale or even gut feeling.

But in most cases, the decision to ‘like’ a certain brand is instinctive, because it:

> ‘Speaks my language’

> ‘Fits my lifestyle’ or

> ‘Makes me feel good about myself’

InTouch Audit your brand

The reason why Marty Neumeier’s quote about a brand being ‘what they say it is’ is so true is because it doesn’t matter what anyone else’s take out of the brand is: it only matters what it means to each individual.

And even if you buy into a brand because lots of other people think it’s good, that’s still justifiable. The brand gives you kudos through its popularity and you become part of its tribe. It’s a feel-good thing.

You can choose who you want as your friends. Popular people tend to be popular because they work the hardest to maintain their relationships. Could this be true of brands?

Of course, there are always exceptions. Some brands are built on the ‘no frills’ model, so building a relationship with their audience is not their no. 1 priority: they tend to be focussed on keeping prices rock-bottom so they adopt a ‘take it or leave it’ policy, with little fear of alienating their audience because of poor service levels.

But only one brand within any sector can be the cheapest. And only one can be the most popular.

For all other brands they need to work hard to maintain the loyalty of their customers, and constantly reach out and appeal to new ones.

This demands periods of brand reevaluation.

Like people, brands need to evolve. They need to learn new things and be innovative by exploring new ideas, but at the same time they need to hold on to the core values that made them appealing and successful in the first place.

A brand audit is a healthcheck. It checks a brand’s pulse, looks at its heart, scans its thinking, and can even delve into its soul.

It looks at internal and external perceptions. A successful audit can reinvigorate a brand, giving it a new direction and a renewed sense of purpose. It will motivate staff and reignite its audience.

Some of the basic InTouch brand elements

Logotype

Colours

Typeface Core values


At InTouch we talk about ‘clothing’ a brand.

By this we mean all of the components that make up the brand. These are visual components such as a logo or an image or a typeface, or less tangible elements such as values, tone of voice, or emotions.

A brand audit will look at all of these elements in turn and evaluate their impact, value and effectiveness, from an internal as well as an external perspective.

Brand elements include:

> Logo

> Values

> Colour

> Typeface

> Imagery

> Tone of voice

> Marketing communications

> Stationery, signs, livery etc

Brand elements

Base

Passive

Active

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0!@£$%^&*()

What values do we want the InTouch brand to stand for?

AnalyticalTrustedAgilePartnersSafe handsCreativeCerebralProblem solversExperiencedSkilledFriendlyReliable

Some of the basic InTouch brand elements

Logotype

Colours

Typeface Core values


At InTouch we talk about ‘clothing’ a brand.

By this we mean all of the components that make up the brand. These are visual components such as a logo or an image or a typeface, or less tangible elements such as values, tone of voice, or emotions.

A brand audit will look at all of these elements in turn and evaluate their impact, value and effectiveness, from an internal as well as an external perspective.

Brand elements include:

> Logo

> Values

> Colour

> Typeface

> Imagery

> Tone of voice

> Marketing communications

> Stationery, signs, livery etc

Brand elements

Base

Passive

Active

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0!@£$%^&*()

What values do we want the InTouch brand to stand for?

AnalyticalTrustedAgilePartnersSafe handsCreativeCerebralProblem solversExperiencedSkilledFriendlyReliable


Where are you now?

What can you hope your brand audit will achieve?

Before setting out, it’s useful to have some reasonable expectations and goals.

For a large organisation, a full audit is a considerable undertaking if it is to understand thoroughly all the issues the brand faces.

Smaller businesses can conduct a much smaller scale ‘snapshot’ of the situation.

In either case, you should expect your audit to:

> Benchmark the current position

> Refl ect the perceptions of your internal audience

> Refl ect the perceptions of your external audiences

> Expose strengths and weaknesses

> Provide a platform for unifying and developing the brand


B2B v B2C brands

Do B2B brands follow the same rules as B2C ones?

Yes… almost.

But the emphasis on emotional v functional properties of a B2B brand tends to be different.

As a consumer, your choices are about spending your OWN money on products or services which not only help you to run your life most effi ciently but which will bring you the most pleasure/enjoyment/kudos.

Decisions on functional objects such as a washing machine will usually be ruled by the head, whereas the decision to buy, say, perfume will generally come from the heart.

In a business environment, the brands you choose are generally not selected for personal emotional reasons but for more practical, functional reasons: service, product quality,delivery, cost effectiveness etc.

There can still be an emotional ‘aura’ around a B2B brand, because we are all consumers too and we carry some of the emotional connotations through into our professional world.

For example, you might run a fl eet of vehicles for your business. You will consider cost, residual value, tax rating, whole life costs etc –all as extremely sensible things to base your purchasing decision on. But you will also consider emotional values borrowed from your experiences as a consumer.

B2B v B2C brands

Do B2B brands follow the same rules as B2C ones?

Yes… almost.

But the emphasis on emotional v functional properties of a B2B brand tends to be different.

As a consumer, your choices are about spending your OWN money on products or services which not only help you to run your life most effi ciently but which will bring you the most pleasure/enjoyment/kudos.

Decisions on functional objects such as a washing machine will usually be ruled by the head, whereas the decision to buy, say, perfume will generally come from the heart.

In a business environment, the brands you choose are generally not selected for personal emotional reasons but for more practical, functional reasons: service, product quality,delivery, cost effectiveness etc.

There can still be an emotional ‘aura’ around a B2B brand, because we are all consumers too and we carry some of the emotional connotations through into our professional world.

For example, you might run a fl eet of vehicles for your business. You will consider cost, residual value, tax rating, whole life costs etc –all as extremely sensible things to base your purchasing decision on. But you will also consider emotional values borrowed from your experiences as a consumer.

The results of your audit should give you a clear position from which to act.

The next steps could be anything from relatively minor tweaks on the tiller to a radical overhaul of the brand’s positioning, visual identity and marketing communications!

At the least it should give you greater clarity and enable you to connect all your audiences to the brand’s core values more astutely.

It is powerful stuff so handle with care.


Branding begins at home.

Brand values should be part of a company’s DNA in the form of a set of ideas which everybody understands to be fundamental to the brand’s personality.

Everyone who works for it should believe in it and ‘live it’. Every communication should be made with the brand’s values at its heart.

An internal audit is therefore essential to take the temperature of the mood within the company.

But adhering to an established set of standards does not mean stagnation.

Lots of people go on holiday to the same place each year, but they don’t have to!

A brand’s values underpin its behaviour, but it can have new ideas about where to take them.

The starting point of an effective internal brand audit is to ask the right questions, usually through a carefully constructed questionnaire or through a series of interviews.

At InTouch we have developed a score card system which provides a convenient tool for categorising and scaling opinions.

The audit needs to gather opinions from all stakeholders and cover all the ‘touch points’ of the brand, including:

> Historical context

> Core values

> Who are our customers?

> Communications

> Culture

> Vision

Responses need to be honest, warts and all. Of course, its important that responses are genuine and free from the fear of reprisals – for this reason all responses must remain completely confidential.

Internal audit


Hi there!

Historical context

It’s easier to get a sense of where you’re going when you have an idea of where you’ve come from.

Some brands rely on heritage much more than others, but an idea of where the brand has come from and why it was created in the first place will not be known by all stakeholders and will inform their views.

Don’t overlook the obvious!

Core values

What does the brand stand for? Why does this matter? What one word do you think of when you think of the brand? How does it make you feel as a consumer and does working for it feel the same?

It is vital to understand whether the published core values of the brand match up to the experiences of stakeholders.

Who are our customers?

Who do you think we’re selling to?

The audience is at the heart of every brand and every brand’s communication. Forming a clear picture of who the audience is, or rather, who the audiences are, is another vital piece of information in helping to achieve the aims of the brand.

Of course, the more complex the brand and its services, the more diverse its audience will be. It might be that the brand offers a wide range of products and services across a number of audience types.

In this case, it could be more helpful to understand more about internal attitudes around service levels towards customers.

What do we do well? What badly? Do we react quickly, or slowly? Will we go the extra mile?


Communications

Is your brand consistent?

I’m not sure that many marketing managers would argue that getting your key messages out to your external audience is a priority. However, internal communication, especially across a large corporation, runs a close second.

Finding out whether internal and external brand messages are aligned could be key to understanding whether your brand is suffering from a bout of schizophrenia!

More consistency in your communications will cultivate better understanding of the brand’s core values and encourage a more collaborative culture.

Culture

A brand’s core values should be reflected in its culture.

Just as a top sports person’s attitude and habits will affect their performance, so a brand’s internal culture will ultimately have a bearing on its external communications and its ability to innovate and develop.

Is your culture open or closed to change? Relaxed or uptight? Do staff feel at one with the brand’s culture and feel valued and motivated?

By asking the right questions you can get to the bottom of the cultural connection between your brand’s innate personality and the people who make it live and breathe.


“Expect innovation from people outside the company, or from people inside the company who think outside”Marty Neumeier, The Brand Gap

Vision

Not everyone is visionary, but having an open mind to the possibilities creates an atmosphere of innovation, which is the lifeblood of a healthy brand.

Are challenging ideas encouraged or scoffed at?

Understanding branding and why it is important can be taught, added to and passed on.


Customers are always right.

Even if they are wrong, they will think they are right!

The external face of your brand and how it interacts with your customers is arguably more important than anything else.

The explosion of opportunities for businesses to sell and market has become almost overwhelming.

No longer is it enough to simply have an online presence. When you consider the irrepressible rise of online social media activity and the increasingly sophisticated media tools and channels at our disposal, such as on-demand TV and interactive publishing, and its global reach, protecting and managing the activities of your brand has become essential.

Like celebrities, the biggest brands are constantly in the spotlight and the brand’s equivalent of a drunken night on the tiles can quickly hit its bottom line.

The external audience is wide: customers, obviously, but also suspects and prospects, distributors, suppliers and the media. Whether B2B or B2C you need to understand the relationships you have with all these audiences.

You need to research views on:

> Emotional connections

> Products

> Service levels

> Communications

By talking to your audience you will discover things about your brand which you cannot discover just from within the four walls of the business.

External audit


Emotional connections

Remember… it’s what they say it is.

Going back to our idea of the brand as a person, we need to really get under the skin of our external audience to understand why they buy the brand and the depth of their relationship with it.

> What does the brand mean to them?

> Why did they fi rst buy?

> What competitors do they buy and why?

In essence,

> How does it make them feel?

Products

Keeping in character is critical to building a strong brand entity and engaging with your brand’s community. New product launches and promotions keep your audience informed and engaged and coming back for more.

Sales fi gures are a good indication of a successful new product, but fi nding out what your audience really thinks and feels removes speculation. Could it have been better?

Social media channels can be harnessed to gather feedback and gauge the mood of your brand advocates.

NEW!NEW!


Communications

Seeing is believing!

Whether it’s a website, mailer, ad, blog or tweet, your communications defi ne your brand.

They should refl ect your values and adopt the correct tone of voice.

Are they pushing the right buttons?

As communications often work across many media channels (we would recommend this!) keeping them aligned, entertaining and relevant is a constant challenge.

Your customers can play a big part in the feedback here, but it requires sensitivity and expertise to sift through the responses.

Service levels

Knowing what’s bad is just as valuable as the good stuff… more valuable. A successful purchase experience can be subsequently destroyed by sloppy or bad after sales and can leave a sour taste.

Bad news travels faster!

No brand is perfect, but by understanding the potential fl aws you can develop affective strategies to implement improvement.


Where do I start?

Good question.

External research needs to be carried out professionally and responsibly.

At InTouch we have developed a range of tools and techniques to develop your external brand audit, ranging from traditional interview techniques and telemarketing to innovative analysis through social media channels – ideal for engaging customers within an environment where they feel happy to speak their mind and impart honest, open opinions.


Measurement and actions

The end game is turning the results of your audit into actions and ultimately increased revenue.This requires a series of steps. Once all responses to the audit have been assessed and collated the first step is to apply some measurement.

InTouch have developed a range of tools for ‘reading’ your audit and a blueprint called Active Customer Development™ which is designed to help build and maintain strong and resilient brands, energise your sales potential and turn customers on.

Results need to be exposed as widely as possible to your internal audience so that the right strategies can be developed and adapted throughout the business to take the brand forward in the necessary direction.

Working with InTouch

InTouch has extensive experience of managing brands, from tone of voice to physical application, as well as developing modern new brands, from concept, to blueprint to a living and breathing entity.

We understand the DNA of brands and how they can infiltrate and influence a customer’s purchasing decision, and we can creatively develop and deliver its key messages through any media, including email, sms, and social media networks, advertising, direct mail and web based.

Creating and sustaining strong brands requires inspired thought, innovation and focus. It needs agility and often bravery too!

In a world awash with choice, InTouch can help your brand shine brighter than the rest.

www.intouchmarketing.co.uk© InTouch Marketing 2010.

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Call +44 (0)1295 261161Mail [email protected] www.intouchmarketing.co.uk


Call +44 (0)1295 261161Mail [email protected] www.intouchmarketing.co.uk

audit your brand

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